Vegas Shows
When I’m alone, I prefer to go to shows with theater style seating, as it feels awkward to me to be seated at a table with strangers, though I have heard reports from other solos that they met great people this way. I think it’s probably a craps shoot and may depend on how gregarious you are. Obviously, which show you see will depend on your tastes. That said, here are some suggestions of shows with solo-friendly seating. They are merely a small sampling of the shows available in Vegas. Be sure to check out Vegas.com for more shows, with reviews, ticket prices, and more. And most importantly, if it’s a show you really want to see, book your ticket well before your trip. Shows sell out fast here. However, if you’re looking for a last-minute deal, half price tickets for mid-tier shows are often available at Tix4Tonight, which has several locations on the Strip.
Blue Man Group at the Venetian: This was the first show I saw in Vegas, and it’s still one of my favorites. It has terrific rock music with lots of drums and guitar (it is loud, though). Despite the fact that the performers never speak, it’s very funny. It’s hard to describe–and it’s hard to say much more about it without giving too much away. Suffice it to say, it’s different from anything else I’ve ever seen and loads of fun. At the end of the show, you feel you’ve just arrived at a rowdy party. I saw BMG when it was at Luxor, and it has now moved to the Venetian. But it’s still theater-style seating. I think this is a great show for solos. To give you an idea of what their show is like, here’s a video from Youtube:
Lance Burton, Magician, at the Monte Carlo: Lance is incredibly charming and puts on a very good show (for a reasonable price!). The show has a slow build-up from basic magic (a warm-up) to some really mind-blowing magic. I’d be surprised if anyone doesn’t walk away from the show going “How did he DO that?” There is a cute segment where he calls some children up to assist him with some magic. This show featues theater-style seating with plush seats and cupholders. Here’s a bit of Lance doing some sleight of hand magic:
Bette Midler, Cher, or whoever is playing at Caesar’s Palace Colosseum: I haven’t seen any of these performers, but I did go see Celine Dion there, and it is theater-style seating. It is a HUGE 4,100-seat theater. If you go for the cheap seats, be sure to bring binoculars. Seriously. On the plus side, because of the size of the theater, the shows featured here have the ability to be really big-scale production shows. They also have the ability to project the performer up on video screens (for those of us who forgot to bring our binoculars for the nosebleed seats).
Cirque du Soleil, multiple locations: Pick a Cirque show, any Cirque show. I’m surprised they haven’t renamed the town Cirque du Vegas. There are a number of Cirque du Soleil shows around the Strip for you to choose from, and they all have theater-style seating. These shows tend to be visually stunning spectacles filled with physical feats that boggle the mind. (How flexible the human body can be!) Yet they’re all different. There’s O at Bellagio, Mystere at Treasure Island, Love at Mirage, Zumanity at New York New York, Criss Angel’s Believe at Luxor, and Ka at MGM Grand. I’ve seen Mystere. It wasn’t entirely my cup of tea; I’m thinking Ka, which has a plot one can follow, would appeal to me more. Your mileage may vary.
La Reve at the Wynn: This show was created by Franco Dragone, former creative director for Cirque du Soleil, so it bears much in common with the Cirque shows. For more details, Joanna Haugen at KaleidoscopicWandering.com has written a thorough review of the show at her website.
Barry Manilow, Las Vegas Hilton (off-Strip): Manilow performs his decades of hits in the Hilton Theater, which has 1,700 seats, none of which are more than 87 feet from the stage.
Carrot Top, The Luxor: Information from the Luxor website: The award-winning comedy of Scott “Carrot Top” Thompson, also titled “Entertainer of the Year!” and “Comedian of the Year,” keeps his audience in stitches as he unpacks trunk loads of crazy props and wacky inventions. Performances take place in the Atrium Showroom, which has theater-style seating. Haven’t had the privilege of seeing this one yet, either, but I consistently read rave reviews. Apparently, he’s a lot funnier than anyone thought. Ticket prices here are pretty reasonable, too.
Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular, The Venetian: The Las Vegas Review Journal named this the Best Show of 2006, and I can see why. The Venetian custom-built the theater for this show, and it is spectacular. This is an abbreviated version of the Broadway musical, which works in the show’s favor, in my opinion. See my full review here.
Disney’s The Lion King at Mandalay Bay: If you’ve never seen this musical in any of its incarnations (on Broadway, at Disney World, in Vegas), you don’t know what you’re missing. It’s wonderful–the music, the story, the performances, everything. If you have seen it before, you know what I’m talking about. Obviously, this is family-friendly, so if you’re in town to enjoy the “Sin” part of “Sin City” this may not be the show for you. Then again, none of the other shows on this page will probably fit the bill, either. But if you just want to see a good show, this is a good choice.
You can also catch a lot of great concerts (mostly on weekends) in Las Vegas, at places like the Hard Rock Hotel, MGM Grand, and the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay. Check the Las Vegas Review Journal for upcoming concert listings. Carlos Santana, for instance, will be playing at the Hard Rock in a steady gig for the next few months.
For information on solo-friendly Vegas lodging, dining, and activities, go back to:
Solo-friendly Las Vegas
